


Welcome to the Phantomhive's

by SilverFlameAlchemist



Series: Jukebox Drabbles [1]
Category: Black Butler
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Budding relationships, Dancing, Dolls, Drinking, Fluff, Haunted Houses, High Society Gal, Human Pluto, Hurt/Comfort, Lizzy Ships Everyone, Mentions of attempted suicide, Multi, One-Shots, Other, POV Second Person, Parties, Reader/Character - Freeform, Romance, Self-Insert, Song-inspired, Surprise! You're In Love!, Tongue Tattoos, all the feelz, mostly spoiler free, reader/various - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-14
Updated: 2017-03-14
Packaged: 2018-10-05 06:08:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10299317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverFlameAlchemist/pseuds/SilverFlameAlchemist
Summary: You had never thought, with your background, your upbringing, that anything like this would happen ever happen to someone like you...Reader/Various - Separate Summaries inside.





	1. Arachnitect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was something in his tone that made you want to agree, even though you weren't sure what it is you'd just been asked to do, and you looked back at him curiously. His expression was still calm, but there was something in his eyes that hadn't been there before. "Alright then." You whispered.
> 
> Claude Faustus/Reader

_Silky architect, for insect possession._  
_A confection collection!_  
 _And when a prize flies into your web,_  
 _You’re grinning while spinning its dizzy death…_

You twirled in time to the music, letting yourself be lead around the room by the boy you were dancing with, not missing the way his gaze continued to stray away from your face and onto someone on the other side of the room from you.

“Am I so very boring that you need to look for amusement somewhere else, Master Trancy?” You asked coyly, smirking at him.

He turned those unnaturally bright azure eyes onto you, smirking right back. “Oh, no, no! I assure you that you’re _quite_ fascinating in your own right, my dear… I just want to make sure I know where everyone is, should anything untoward happen.”

You arched an elegant eyebrow and feigned surprise. “And what would lead you to suspect such a thing?”

He winked. “Well, when one keeps the company of so many… Unsavory characters…” He trailed off, and you grinned at his implied meaning.

“Well then, how considerate of you to keep an eye out for us.” You replied, curtsying deeply as the song came to a close and he pulled away from you.

He smiled sweetly and winked. “Who said I was doing it for _everyone_?”

You managed to swallow your laugh and blushed lightly on cue, making your way over to the side of the room and through the door out onto the balcony, deciding air was in order after that particular ordeal.

 _Sneaky, scary, wily, wary,_  
_Looming from your woven looms._  
 _Eyes a’ beady, mouth a’ greedy,_  
 _Poisoning within your ring…_

You tilted your face back to look at the sky, breathing in the cool air of fall, enjoying the way the crisp breeze trailed over your bare skin and made you shiver slightly. It was a pity you had to stay inside for the ball… You would have happily danced out here in the moonlight if you had been given the chance.

You felt a hand land lightly on your lower back and jumped slightly, turning to look at the intruder, a rebuke on your tongue, but you stopped when you saw who it was.

Calm golden eyes looked at you with curiosity as Claude kept his hand on your back, the other tucked behind him. “I’m afraid you might get cold if you remain out here any longer, Madam…” He said softly, inclining his head just a little.

You blinked at him, smiling slightly. “I actually quite like this weather, but I thank you for your concern.” Assuming that would be the end of it, you turned to look back out over the moonlit landscape, and shivered for an entirely different reason when warm breath swept past your ear.

“Really, Madam, I _must_ insist.”

There was something in his tone that made you want to agree, even though you weren’t sure what it is you’d just been asked to do, and you looked back at him curiously.

His expression was still calm, but there was something in his eyes that hadn’t been there before.

“Alright then.” You whispered.

 _Leggies tickle, fangies trickle,_  
_Stirring in alluring lace._  
 _Spin your shroudie, bundle proudly,_  
 _Trapping and a’ wrapping prey._

You shuddered as fingers flitted over your skin, paying special attention to every place that made you sigh softly into his shoulder. Teeth that were entirely too cold and lips that were entirely too warm traced over the places the fingers hadn’t reached, and you felt like melting as the attention continued.

You struggled to make noise, but the whisper he’d pressed to your lips when you entered the dark room always resurfaced to the forefront of your mind, and you found yourself incapable of any sound other than the encouraging sighs that kept his fingers fluttering over certain sensitive patches of skin.

“You will forgive me, Madam,” another hot whisper brushed past your ear, “but I find myself incapable of allowing you to return to the party…”

And you found that you could forgive him, because who could possibly find a _party_ better than _this_?

 _Little palace of your malice,_  
_Filigree of treachery._  
 _Callous rapture in your capture,_  
 _Viciousness!  Deliciousness!_

Hallways and doorways were navigated in the dark, and hands continued to cling as you two found your way deeper into the mansion’s interior, searching for a place you could be alone from prying eyes and curious party-goers who found themselves lost in the unfamiliar territory.

Claude directed you by the waist, hands holding firmly while he let his mouth keep you distracted from the world whirling past. You hardly had time to breathe, let alone think, and you found it to be a welcome distraction.

A door clicked shut behind you with finality, and you looked up into shining golden eyes.

“I think you’ll find you are quite capable of complimenting or critiquing my technique as you see fit now.”

You tried your voice, able to manage a soft query. “Where are we?”

“Somewhere no one is going to bother us, Madam.”

 _Silky architect, for insect possession._  
_A confection collection!_  
 _And when a prize flies into your web,_  
 _You’re grinning while spinning its dizzy death…_

_"Arachnitect" by: Kristen Lawrence_


	2. Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But it wasn't enough to know that… It was never enough to see the look of apologetic regret he would give you as he slipped away again, back to the society and social circles that would never permit you two to be together.
> 
> Ciel Phantomhive/Reader

_I’m everything you know, be it friend or foe,  
I’m the burning in your throat when you swallow._

You felt a rush of adrenaline as you were pulled down the hall by the hand clutched tightly around yours, a grin spilling over your face before you could stop it. _This_ was what you had been waiting for… These moments the two of you stole in between meetings and parties…

The moments you knew he was yours and yours alone.

_And then you spit me out, your stomach full of doubt,  
Now you’re faking every word out of your mouth._

You knew from the beginning that it would never be able to last. He had a fiancé; you had an estate that your father had left you. There were always complications that you knew would never be overcome unless you both really wanted it.

And as much as you wanted it, you knew he would never leave Lizzy. Not now.

So you spent those moments in delight and delicious knowledge that you were breaking the rules, but as soon as it was over, he was pulling his appearance back together as though nothing had happened, and leaving you alone in his bed.

_Oh you won’t let go, it’s all about control,  
Understand, I want to lead you not follow._

The more stress he was under, the more often he asked you over for tea, the more times you _accidentally_ stayed too late and were invited to spend the night, the more time you two shared together, tucked away in his room and pretending as though the rest of the world didn’t exist.

You loved those days. Loved the way his eyes would trail over your face, taking in every little detail, loved the way his hands would lose themselves in the sheets around you and arrive on your skin in gentle caresses. You loved seeing him so at ease with you when he never let anyone in this close.

You loved _him_.

But you hated the way his features would contort into guilt when he realized what he’d done. When the realization that he’d fallen _again_ , and there was no denying he cared about you, liked you, even, because you were the only woman he ever wanted in his bed.

But it wasn’t enough to know that… It was never enough to see the look of apologetic regret he would give you as he slipped away again, back to the society and social circles that would never permit you two to be together.

_Now I don’t wanna stay, and I’m running away,  
Don’t you hear me when I say; Goodbye, so long, nice try, I’m gone._

You felt so sorry to see the town house drift into the distance as you moved off into the night and put the young earl behind you. You needed time and a place to think, and your estate in the country gave you both.

So you’d vanished off and told his butler to give him the letter you’d written weeks in advance in the morning with his breakfast, and you hoped everything would just turn out alright.

Because as much as you loved him, and as much as it killed you to leave, you knew it was the right thing to do.

_I won’t forget the way you made me feel,  
I won’t regret running away from here._

You wrote him letters while you were away.

Letters that told of how you felt, how you wished you could have told him sooner, told him to his face how much you cared. Letters that would have put authors to shame with their eloquence and beauty, detailing every moment you’d noticed something about him that everyone else had missed.

Letters that you left in a box he’d given you for your birthday.

Letters that you could never bring yourself to send, because you _should_ have told him to his face; and pieces of paper, eloquent or not, were far too little, much too late.

You kept up with him in the papers, and laughed every time he pulled off a particularly stunning exploit.

You cringed every time he sent you an invitation to a ball or party, and you cried when you handwrote the replies that told him kindly and cordially _no_.

_Now it’s there to see, you’ve forgotten me,  
Ever since I was the prince among the thieves._

You stayed away for three months, shutting yourself off from the world and only sending out for things by way of your servants, letting them tackle society in your stead, because you still didn’t want to think about what the approaching season would mean.

You received another invitation, this time to a masquerade ball, and you finally caved and replied with a very straightforward _yes_ , and told him that you would be leaving your estate directly, hoping that he’d understand, and meet you there…

But when you arrived, ushered into your house by a maid who cursed the London weather, you found only his butler, who was looking almost smug as he handed you a letter and told you that his master was sorry, but he had had a previous engagement.

You took the letter with a smile painted on with care, and told him that it was really quite terrible that you hadn’t been able to see the young earl as well.

You didn’t read the letter. You put it into the box with the missives of your own, and pretended like it didn’t exist. You didn’t want his excuses or apologies. You just wanted to feel his hand holding yours again.

_So you hold me down, strip away my crown,  
Can’t contain me knowing all the truth I’ve found._

You held your chin high as you entered the ball that evening, hoping against all hopes that midnight would find you in a shadowy hall with your lips preoccupied. But as you slipped in, unannounced, you realized that was unlikely.

The hall was full of bejeweled ladies, all tittering behind their fans as they watched the young earl make his way around the room, cordiality incarnate as he spoke to the more important figures in the room, and nodded in passing to those he was less well acquainted with.

His eyes never landed on yours, although he must have recognized you despite your mask, and you felt your heart shatter as he flirted and flitted through the crowd.

You huffed out an annoyed breath, determined to make him feel much the same, and purposefully walked into him on your way to get punch. You apologized profusely, whisking yourself off again before he ever had the chance to whisper to you, and flirted your way across the room.

You caught him looking at you after that, and you couldn’t help but smile. There was jealousy in his gaze.

_Always thinking small, helping me to fall,  
Now your jealousy and hate consumes us all._

You tried not to yelp as a hand closed over yours in a familiarly tight grip and tugged you away down a dark hall. Your heart started to pound as his footsteps sounded solidly against the floor and the music from the ball started to drift into the distance.

You stuttered out some half-hearted objection before he dragged you both through a doorway and claimed your mouth with his own.

You could feel the anger in him as he held you close. His grip was possessive, and you felt chills course down your spine at the thought that he’d become jealous because of your game. Because you’d _dared_ to try and win some other man’s favor.

You reminded him that this was his party. That he would be missed.

He reminded you that he was doing this for you, and you decided not to argue that point. You let him pull and tug and curse your corset strings, because you’d missed him as much as he had missed you, and you needed to know that he cared.

And as he whispered into your ear that he would be expecting you to stay the night, you knew he did.

_You think you see the world, but you see nothing.  
Time is only going to make it worse in the end, so I’ll say goodbye again_

You found him in his study with your box on the desk before him, the letters in his hands. He looked at you with an expression you’d never seen before, and you felt yourself fall all over again.

He asked if you’d read his letter and you simply shook your head.

You’d forgotten it was sitting in there, keeping the others company, and when you saw the sadness enter his eyes, you realized you never should have left it unopened.

You started to apologize, but he stopped you before you could, instead handing you the letter and walking out.

You started to cry before you even opened it, and you sobbed once you’d finished it off.

_Don’t hit me with your fears, I don’t think with your ideas,  
You’ve missed what I’m about, I earned my way out._

He’d left Lizzy.

He’d turned his back on society’s good thoughts of him in order to ask you to marry him, and you realized that all that flirting last night had been his attempt to make people believe he’d left Elizabeth in order to find a new fiancé; not pick his paramour as his wife.

You realized that when you’d flirted with the others, he thought you’d read the letter and turned your back on him.

And that explained why he was so jealous and angry and _oh._

You ran after him. You ran until you found him and threw yourself into his arms, because this was what you’d wanted, _right here_.

He chuckled and asked you if that was a _yes_.

You told him it most certainly was.

_And in the end, I’ll say goodbye again._

_"Goodbye" by: SR-71  
_


	3. Head Over Feet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small frown marred his features for a moment before it vanished again. "I must warn you, though… I already have guests staying with me." Your gaze traveled across the room to where the two darker skinned men were standing, watching the world whirl past in awe. "Yes, I am aware…" You smirked slightly. "I think it would be a pleasure to get to know them better."
> 
> Prince Soma/Reader

_I had no choice but to hear you_  
_You stated your case time and again_  
 _I thought about it..._

Throughout the years, throughout the balls and teas and smiles and curtsies, you’d always managed to keep your head down. People knew who you were by association, recognized your name, but never really paid attention to what you did out in the world, and you wouldn’t have had it any other way.

The Phantomhive family wasn’t the only one with ties to the underworld, after all.

Not that you were the one who took carriage rides to shady parts of town in the middle of the night, or the one who pulled the strings like a puppet master and made all your marionettes dance.

Of course that wasn’t you.

You were the only daughter of a nobleman who’d recently passed away and left you a considerable inheritance. You were the now highly-sought-after young lady with money and no mind to marry. You were the special guest of Earl Phantomhive himself at this most recent gala, and you were the woman who was trying not to roll your eyes in sync with your host at the monotony of the evening’s festivities.

“How _do_ you manage to attend these things on a regular basis?” Ciel asked you softly as you took a turn across the dance floor with him, trying not to grin at the looks you were receiving from the other young ladies.

“I grin and bear it.” You replied with a sly wink.

He rolled his eyes at that, but you caught the tiny smirk that flitted over his lips as the song finally swirled to an end, and he saw you back to your seat. “I believe, if it is not to forward of me, that it would be most beneficial if you spent the night.” He murmured as he stood next to you. “I know those headaches of yours can be quite crippling, and I would be a terrible host if I let you simply make your own way home.”

You smiled brightly up at him. “How kind of you, Earl Phantomhive, but what am I to tell my footman?”

“Oh, I would be more than willing to see you home myself tomorrow, once you’re rested.”

The banter that passed between you wasn’t exactly necessary, you knew what Ciel meant when he said you should stay and you knew he would take you home, but to the casual observer it would seem as though your conversation was completely above board, and no one would ever be the wiser.

The fact that you were not only one of Funtom’s number one investors, but also a very good friend of Lizzy’s, helped alleviate the amount of gossip that traveled throughout the gentry about yourself and Ciel.

 “What a kind offer,” you replied with a smile, “I would be most honored to accept.”

A small frown marred his features for a moment before it vanished again. “I must warn you, though… I already have guests staying with me.”

Your gaze traveled across the room to where the two darker-skinned men were standing, watching the world whirl past in awe. “Yes, I am aware…” You smirked slightly. “I think it would be a pleasure to get to know them better.”

 _You treat me like I'm a princess_  
_I'm not used to liking that_  
_You ask how my day was..._

Normally when you made your way down to breakfast, Sebastian was waiting to pull your chair out for you, a pleasant smile and _good morning_ on his lips, and you would return the greeting before tucking into whatever meal had been prepared.

But this morning, unlike every other morning in the Phantomhive household, you were greeted by a large grin and a pair of golden eyes staring intently across the table at you. “Good morning!”

You blinked at the Prince sitting across from you, wondering why on earth he was looking so thoroughly chipper this early in the morning. “Good morning.”

He stood and moved around the table in order to tug your chair carefully out for you, still smiling brightly. “Did you sleep well?”

You moved your gaze from the chair, to his face, back to the chair, and then blinked twice in quick succession before you sat down. “Quite well, thank you… Did you?”

He slid your chair in perfectly behind you, following your movements smoothly. “Well enough, I think, but perhaps not long enough.” He was still smiling as he moved back to his seat and plopped back into it. “And I suggest you get to the sausages before Ciel comes and eats them all.”

You smiled at that, and poured yourself a cup of tea. As you lifted the cup to your lips, the sudden realization that an Indian _Prince_ had just pulled your chair out for you made you freeze in the movement, and stare blankly at him as he continued to devour the aforementioned sausages.

He noticed and looked up, blinking. “Is something the matter? I know Agni isn’t as used to your English teas as he is to our own, but I thought he’d…” He trailed off as you set your teacup back down with a soft clatter.

“Forgive me, your highness; I believe my headache just returned.” You stood and he swiftly followed suit, although a little more clumsily. “If you see Ciel please tell him I’ve returned to the room he provided for me.”

As you hurried out the door, trying not to look back, you missed the soft whisper that was directed your way.

“You can call me Soma, you know.”

 _You've already won me over in spite of me_  
_And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet_  
_Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are_  
_I couldn't help it_  
_It's all your fault..._

You blamed Sebastian for what happened next.

It wasn’t exactly his fault, but you took pleasure in blaming him anyway.

If the bloody devil had just _kept his mouth shut_ , then you would never have thought twice about what Soma was wearing, or what might be lurking just beneath the fabric, and you wouldn’t be in your current predicament.

But no. Sebastian had found it necessary to mention a thing called Henna that apparently was quite the thing in some countries.

India included.

And now you couldn’t take your eyes off the richly colored clothes of the boy across the room from you, and you were blaming Sebastian for it.

The idea that, lurking on that wonderfully dark skin just under those wonderfully bright clothes, there might be filigree patterns trailing over the Prince’s skin made your mind whirl with the possibilities, and you really couldn’t help the images that came to mind.

Sebastian was blamed for that too, because he’d found it necessary to also mention the types of patterns most often used, and you thought that Soma would look excellent with lacy veins of dark brown swirling over his skin.

You averted your eyes for probably the thirtieth time that afternoon, and you heard Ciel snort softly from his seat across the table from you. “You realize that you’re going to lose if you don’t pay attention, don’t you?” He asked softly, trying to keep the laughter out of his voice.

“You do realize that I can do more than one thing at a time, don’t you?” You shot back.

He smiled placidly. “I had no idea you were capable of undressing a Prince with your eyes and carrying on a game of chess at the same time. Wonders clearly never cease.”

You felt the flush rise into your face before you could stop it, and Soma’s voice sounded across the quiet parlor. “Ciel, what are you doing to your poor guest?”

“Oh I hardly think I’m the one behind it,” the blue-eyed boy replied with another smirk, “it must be something else bothering her.”

You would have kicked him under the table if you’d thought you could get away with it without Soma seeing you, but it wasn’t possible. Instead, you looked back at the chess board and tried to calm your breathing. You snatched one of Ciel’s knights, which you imagined he might have let you have, and then glared at him. “Your turn.”

He frowned slightly, studying the board, and you tried not to stare too much as Soma calmly and gracefully bent over the back of Ciel’s chair and stared at the black-and-white board as well.

“You’ll have to teach me how to play some time.” He said simply, shaking his head.

And oh. _Oh_.

Your eyes had darted to the neckline of his shirt when he’d bent forward, curiosity getting the better of you when given such a perfect opportunity, and you felt your heart start to flutter in an unhealthy way when you saw the tail end of a swirl of darker brown over one side of his chest.

Your head swam for a moment, and from what you thought might have been a very long way off, you heard Ciel tell you that it was your turn.

“This will have to wait…” You managed to mumble, struggling to your feet and ignoring both hands that were offered to you. “I’m afraid I’ve just developed the most horrible migraine.”

Ciel’s smirk could have curdled milk, but Soma merely looked concerned, and you wondered if you fainted if he’d be able to catch you.

And you decided that sort of thinking really wasn’t healthy and you should stop it at once before you actually _did_ faint.

 _Your love is thick and it swallowed me whole_  
_You're so much braver than I gave you credit for_  
_That's not lip service..._

It was the small things with Soma. The little looks he’d give you across the room or the dinner table, the way he would look like a hopeful puppy when he asked you to play a game with him, the tiny gifts that would magically appear on your bedside table without warning when you’d return from a day out with Ciel.

It was comfortable, whatever this was, and you’d smile and laugh and thank him softly in hallways when no one else was around.

He would wave it off, say it was nothing, but you could tell that it meant something to him when you returned the attention. Meant even more when you got him something in return, and were then subjected to exuberant hugs that should honestly never be given to someone like you by someone like him.

It was the nights he’d knock on your door in order to say goodnight, and linger there a little longer than was strictly necessary just so that he could be around you, that made you smile until you fell asleep and sometimes even dream of him.

And when you were awake and not about to fall asleep, he would be right there, always smiling, and you decided that was the best thing for him, because you never wanted him to have to see the side of the world that you or Ciel did, because someone so full of light shouldn’t be subjected to the shadows.

But when you came back to the house and collapsed into a chair, he was right there to cheer you up, and you thought that maybe that was his way of being brave, because no one had ever tried to take you on right after a job, but he could, because he had something none of them had ever had.

 _You are the bearer of unconditional things_  
_You held your breath and the door for me_  
_Thanks for your patience..._

“It’s… It’s never half-way with you, is it?”

A pair of confused golden eyes met yours, and there was a frown line forming between his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

He was perched on the end of your bed, clearly attempting to keep his hands to himself, and had up until then been staring intently at the cards in his hand.

“I mean,” you said softly, leaning forward to place a card onto the playing field, “that you don’t do things half-heartedly. If you decide to do something, you do it all the way.”

He smiled. “I thought that was a good thing? There are a lot of people nowadays that aren’t so dedicated.” He played a card atop yours, gaze returning to the game.

“I’m not denying that,” you hastened to explain, “it’s just a little surprising is all.”

“Why?”

“Because you seem like the sort of person who could be as careless as he wanted, but you aren’t.” You smiled slightly. “You actually care about the people you meet, even though you’d be within your rights to just pass over them.”

“I’m not a crown prince, you know.” He muttered, going a bit pink at the praise. “It’s not like I’m even a prince _here_ , either…”

“But you’re still a gentleman, and that’s what matters.” You smiled brightly. “I mean really, how many woman can brag about the fact that they’ve had the door held for them by a prince?”

He chuckled. “Not many, I’ll give you that.”

You leant forward, surprising him, and pressed a kiss lightly to his forehead. “Thank you.”

“For what?” His voice was barely above a whisper, and you couldn’t hold back a smile.

“For everything, Soma.”

He suddenly beamed at you. “You called me by my name!” He grabbed you by the shoulders and pulled you into a hug, his hand of cards scattering across your bed. “Finally, you called me by my name!”

You laughed into his shoulder, trying to find a way to hug him back without falling into his lap, but he suddenly held you away at arm’s length, cheeks once again dusted pink.

“You… You wouldn’t mind if I stayed, would you?”

You blinked. “Of course not. Why would I…” You trailed off, noticing the way his blush merely got brighter. “You meant spend the night, didn’t you?”

He gave you a shaky nod and you smiled sweetly.

“How could I resist you, _your_ _highness_?”

He huffed, folding his arms over his chest and pouting cutely, and you instantly laughed and leaned in closer in an attempt to kiss away his frown.

You were quite successful.

 _You're the best listener that I've ever met_  
_You're my best friend_  
_Best friend with benefits_  
_What took me so long..._

  _"Head over Feet" by: Alanis Morissette  
_


	4. Candyman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He had the sort of golden blond hair that made you want to just run your fingers through it, and as he turned to look at the bartender, you caught the glimmer of his azure eyes and felt your stomach do a rather impressive double back flip. And then he stuck out his tongue at said bartender, and you saw the tattoo that graced it, and you practically melted into the floor.
> 
> Alois Trancy/Reader

_He got those lips like sugar cane  
Good things come for boys who wait..._

Normally when you went out with Lizzy, you stayed away from the bars and clubs, and went shopping like ordinary girls of class.

But tonight, as fate would have it, was _anything_ but normal.

First there had been the lack of chauffeur for you and the blond, and then there had been the cab and Lizzy carrying around _actual cash_ , and then there was the moment when you realized that this was going to be one of _those_ nights, and you resigned yourself to being toted around like a tiny puppy in a handbag by the energetic blond before you.

"Lizzy, where are we going?"

"Out! Come on, this'll be fun, I promise!"

You wondered how on earth a boy like Ciel was engaged to a girl like this, and rolled your eyes skyward. "I'd noticed that, dear, I meant out where?"

She blinked those big green eyes of hers at you like you'd just asked what her favorite color was. "Just… _Out_. Come on; show a sense of adventure, would you? It'll be fun!"

You sighed softly. "I know, but I'm worried you might have too much fun."

"How could that _possibly_ happen?"

"You've never gotten drunk before, have you?"

"Huh? No, why?"

You slapped a hand over your eyes and instantly saw a drunken Lizzy dancing across the bar top, giggling the whole way. "Never mind. But when I say we need to leave, we leave, okay?"

She smiled brightly, taking this as your consent to being dragged to every dive on this side of town, and nodded once. "Okay!"

You tried not to groan as you imagined all the trouble you'd be in when you finally found your way home, and you decided that it might not be a bad thing for Lizzy to spend the night at your house, so that she would have a chance to sleep off whatever she decided to put into her system.

With this plan firmly in place, you sat back up and smiled brightly at her as she dragged you from the cab and towards a store.

Might as well have fun while it was still there to be had…

 _I met him out for dinner on a Friday night_  
_He really had me working up an appetite_  
 _He had tattoos up and down his arm_  
 _There's nothing more dangerous than a boy with charm..._

The day flew past in a blur of color and sound and before you knew it you'd started the crawl across the pubs on this side of town, and you really hoped that you'd be able to keep your friend from getting too out of control.

The first stop was completely normal, contrary to the rest of the day's events thus far, and Lizzy just wanted to try _pub food_. So you ate greasy, _but totally delicious_ , food of peasants and tried to ignore the looks you were getting from the boys around the room.

Lizzy asked what they were staring at.

You grinned and told her quite plainly that it was her.

She turned four shades deeper than a tomato and poked at her sandwich before she had the nerve to look back at a few of them.

And suddenly, like a bolt out of the blue, you realized that the only way you were ever going to get her home in one piece was if you called in reinforcements.

Ciel, unsurprisingly, showed up the instant you mentioned Lizzy and bars in the same sentence, and when she'd hit her second sip of beer and found it didn't agree with her, he helped her to the bathroom.

It was in their absence that you noticed the boy across the room from you. You'd caught glimpses of him moving back and forth through the pub, but once Lizzy was gone, you had a pretty good view of him.

He had the sort of golden blond hair that made you want to just run your fingers through it, and as he turned to look at the bartender, you caught the glimmer of his azure eyes and felt your stomach do a rather impressive double back flip.

And then he stuck out his tongue at said bartender, and you saw the tattoo that graced it, and you practically melted into the floor.

It was while you were trying to get over the fact that there was a _tattoo_ on his _tongue_ , gaze still glued to those vibrantly blue eyes, that he turned and noticed you.

He winked, tipping his glass towards you, and you managed to return the gesture just in time for Ciel to come back with a pouting Lizzy. Ciel looked between you and the blond at the bar and smirked. "Someone you know?" He asked as he helped Lizzy back into her seat.

"No, no…" You smirked slightly. "But that might change…"

Ciel was about to object when said blond slipped over to you, ignoring both Lizzy and her fiancé in favor of smirking right at you. "Hey, I was just wondering, are you doing anything later?"

Well, you had to give him points for being direct about it. "Not that I can think of."

He grinned. "Good. There's a place I know just a few blocks over… It's fun this time of night, if you think you'd like to try it out…"

You smiled sweetly up at him. "I'd love to." Ciel started to interject, but you kicked him under the table before he could and continued to look up at the blond. "I came here by taxi, though."

He smiled just as sweetly back at you. "Well I brought my motorcycle, so it shouldn't be a problem." And to top off the sweetness of his smile, he offered you his arm. "We can leave now, if you'd like."

You instantly stood, taking his arm and letting him lead you towards the door.

 _He took me to the Spider Club at Hollywood and Vine_  
_We drank champagne and we danced all night_  
 _We shook the paparazzi for a big surprise_  
 _The gossip tonight will be tomorrow's headline..._

Given that all your blond had to do was nod at the bouncer to be allowed into the club, you decided he probably came here often. _Quite_ often, considering the way he knew his way around and managed to walk you over to the bar without having to dodge anyone even once.

He pressed a glass of champagne into your hands before you could protest, and clinked his gently against yours before he downed it in one gulp. You stared at him for a moment before you followed suite with a shrug, earning you a grin from him.

"I never caught your name." You managed to not yell into his ear as you leaned in closer.

"It's Alois," he replied in much the same manner, although he found it necessary to gently tug your hips forward towards his, "and I have to tell you, I never come here unless I plan to dance."

You smirked up at him, rather enjoying the way those azure eyes glided over you. "Well then, I suppose I'd better come with you before you turn into someone else's ride home."

He looked injured, placing a hand over his heart. "Me, abandon you? How could you think it?" You laughed as he grinned and tugged you out onto the dance floor, quickly spinning you into his arms and swaying perfectly in time to the slower song that was currently playing.

Alois could _move_.

You were hard pressed to collect your thoughts enough in order to actually follow his lead; distracted as you were by the way he twisted and turned in time to the rhythm of the music, a grin ever-present on his face. It didn't seem to matter what sort of song it was, either, he could adapt to any genre and instantly fall into step.

And as if his hips, which were uncommonly narrow and entirely too attractive for his own good, weren't distracting enough, there were times when he'd bend just the right way and you'd be able to see down the front of his shirt, always blurred by speed and the flashing lights, but promising of soft, smooth muscles and the cries that you could elicit if you had half a chance.

And with sudden determination, you decided that no matter how offended and appalled Lizzy might be when she found out, you were taking this boy home. Tattooed tongue and all…

 _Especially_ the tattooed tongue.

 _Well by now I'm getting all bothered and hot_  
_When he kissed my mouth he really hit the spot_  
 _He had lips like sugar cane_  
 _Good things come to boys who wait..._

Boys shouldn't taste as good as Alois did. It just shouldn't be allowed.

They also shouldn't be able to reduce you to goo with nothing but their taste and smell, and really, it should be illegal for anyone to kiss as well as he did, no matter their gender or age.

It didn't help that his fingers, which were exceptionally determined little explorers, managed to find every place that made your skin prickle pleasantly, and it was hard to keep paying attention to where you were directing him as you drove him backwards towards your room.

Oh yeah, and there was that. Who walks backwards that well in boots anyway? Who _wears_ boots that well, period?

The purple coat, something else that was attractive against all laws of reason, was removed and deposited somewhere near your living room couch, your jacket soon following suit. Then there was the obvious problem of your shirts, which were dispatched with lightning speed thanks to one of his explorative hands giving your skin a break.

Then there came the boots.

The ridiculous, would-look-stupid-on-any-other-guy, lace-all-the-way-up-the-front boots that encased his legs up to the knee and made you want to scream with frustration when you realized that those black skinny jeans of his wouldn't be coming off until the boots did, and that was quite possibly a feat that was beyond even Hercules himself.

Alois actually laughed when he noticed the look on your face and pulled you onto the bed so that you hovered over him. "Relax. I wasn't planning on going anywhere for a while, if you want me to stick around."

"You'll have to, given the absurdity of your laces."

He smirked slightly, leaning up to catch your lips with his own again. "I think I might, if only to see you make those faces of yours some more… They really are too cute."

You gave him a look. "That doesn't resolve the problem of your boots being convoluted and completely impossible to remove."

That same smirk slid onto his lips as his blue eyes burned a little more brightly. "You know they zip off down the back, right?"

You brightened instantly.

 _He's a one stop shop, makes my cherry pop_  
_He's a sweet-talking, sugar coated candy man_  
 _A sweet-talking, sugar coated candy man..._

_"Candyman" _by:_ Christina Aguilera_


	5. Undisclosed Desires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You quickly made friends, and when Ciel paired you off to run errands for him, you most often found yourself in the company of one man in particular. And if you'd ever caught the smirks Ciel sent his butler as the two left the room, you might have begun to suppose it was on purpose. As it was, however, you missed the smirks exchanged and believed it to simply be luck that continued to put you together with the man you managed to get along with so well.
> 
> Lau/Reader

_I know you've suffered,_  
_But I don't want you to hide,_  
 _It's cold and loveless,_  
 _I won't let you be denied..._

Your upbringing in good English society had certainly not been the easiest one, but you didn’t hold how the private tutors your parents had hired treated you against said parents themselves.

You grew up knowing that you had to sacrifice certain things in life in order to get what you wanted, what you needed to survive.

Being the only heir to a large estate had not been as much of a difficulty as you might have once imagined, and when your parents passed away suddenly and unexpectedly, you decided you wanted to do something wise with the money and businesses they’d left you.

And when you wanted something done in England, there really was only one person you went to.

When you’d first gotten involved with the Phantomhive family, you hadn’t quite known what to expect. There were rumors, of course, and you always had at least one ear open to such gossip, but you knew how to tell the difference between what was based in fact and what was pure conjecture.

You were smart, and it was one of the reasons why Ciel Phantomhive had agreed to let you join his company in the first place.

In a manner of months, however, you’d gone beyond simple investor, and Ciel had taken you into his confidence to meet the other members of, what you liked to call, The League.

It was an odd assortment of individuals by any standard, but you somehow managed to feel right at home among the rag-tag group, and promised Ciel that he would not regret your inclusion into the ranks.

You quickly made friends, and when Ciel paired you off to run errands for him, you most often found yourself in the company of one man in particular.

And if you’d ever caught the smirks Ciel sent his butler as the two left the room, you might have begun to suppose it was on purpose.

As it was, however, you missed the smirks exchanged and believed it to simply be luck that continued to put you together with the man you managed to get along with so well.

 _Soothing,_  
_I'll make you feel pure,_  
 _Trust me,_  
 _You can be sure…_

Whether out on an errand for the Earl or not, whenever you went places with Lau you felt… Safe. The China-man would always give you those slightly silly smiles and take you by the hand, stopping you before you went around a corner or tugging you gently in the correct direction when you were in an unfamiliar part of town.

The offhand manner he used with everyone and everything was a nice change to the way Ciel acted, and you liked the more relaxed air Lau always managed to exude, even when clearly under stress.

There was a soothing, calm atmosphere that seemed to follow him wherever he went, making it easier to carry out your orders or to relax once you’d successfully completed whatever task had been set to you.

Lau made you feel like you belonged, no matter where you happened to be at the time, and you liked that he never pressed you for information about your past.

There had been so many people who’d wanted to know about your parents’ deaths, and you’d never been ready to talk about it when the questions had been put to you.

You didn’t have to verbally dance with Lau, because almost by instinct he knew what subjects to avoid and which you enjoyed. He could laugh in the middle of Ciel’s occasional interrogations of you and demand that he leave you alone in a way that didn’t make it sound like a demand at all.

And any man who could do that deserved a great deal of respect.

 _You trick your lovers_  
_That you're wicked and divine,_  
 _You may be a sinner,_  
 _But your innocence is mine..._

When you needed a place to let your mind unwind, somewhere not inhabited by either Phantomhives or your own estranged family, it was Lau you turned to for a place to rest.

And although you often wondered what an Opium Den looked like, that was never the place he took you.

He claimed ladies like you didn’t belong in places like that, and when you tried to ask why not, he would give you a signature smile and say, “you just wouldn’t mix well.”

So he took you to an apartment he kept in the city, and just by glancing around, it was easy to see it was his.

The colors swirled around the room like currents in an ocean, and the faint hint of smoke still lingered about the place even though he always swore that, “I never bring my, ah, _work_ home with me.”

It was there that you forged your fondest memories together, spending hours doing nothing but sitting in each other’s company because that was all you needed to feel comfortable with him.

And when you did talk, it was always about things that no one else had ever thought to ask you, because others would see them as childish even though they certainly weren’t.

He was the first person to ever remember your birthday and give you the one Funtom toy you’d secretly been trying to get your hands on for the past month because it was just too cute to pass up.

And when he handed it over, his eyes opened long enough to take in the look of pure joy on your face before they slatted shut again, and that smile went from being soft and pure to silly and frivolous once more.

You slept with the stuffed animal at your side that night, running over the glimpse of soft smile you’d managed to see before it had vanished again in your mind as you drifted off into sleep. And although you never told him, you imagined that he knew.

 _I want to reconcile the violence in your heart_  
_I want to recognize your beauty is not just a mask,_  
 _I want to exorcise the demons from your past,_  
 _I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your heart..._

When Lau started escorting you about, even when you hadn’t been given an occupation from Ciel, you didn’t think twice about it because he’s presence in your life had become so commonplace.

It was like having your best friend follow you around and make soft, snide comments to you when he knew you needed a bit of cheering up.

A best friend that, should you require it of him, could do any number of things to help you escape the world and whisk you away to paradises he created with a snap of his fingers.

He could do anything for you, and although he never said it outright, there were always gestures and comments that led you to that conclusion without any doubts on the matter.

Lau would have turned the world upside down if you’d asked him to.

At first, you’d assumed the reason behind it was akin to the reason he kept Ran-Mao around, because he saw you like a sister. Because he wanted to be sure you were kept close enough to keep an eye on in case anything went wrong. Because, for whatever reason, he cared about you.

But you weren’t the one he pulled into his lap, weren’t the one he took back to his Den, weren’t the one he gallivanted across the town with on a whim.

You were the one he watched like a hawk and never let out of his sight, the one he would steal away from the world when you needed rescuing, the one he always treated with the greatest of care, as though you might break at a moment’s notice.

“It isn’t that I don’t trust you, my dear,” he’d whispered to you one night as you’d fallen asleep in his apartment, cradled gently against his chest, “but I don’t want anyone else breaking my precious little doll.”

And whether or not he knew you could hear him, you appreciated the sentiment all the same.

He might have been a strange man to everyone else, and certainly tricky to get to know, but it was always worth it for the way he treated you and treasured you, and made sure you were always safe.

He treated you as if you were breakable, because he was well aware of the fact that you were.

 _Please me,_  
_Show me how it's done,_  
 _Tease me,_  
 _You are the one..._

It had been a perfectly ordinary evening in autumn when he’d caught your wrist as you walked by and tugged you down into his lap as he sat on one of Ciel’s couches.

Almost without thinking, you wrapped an arm around the back of his neck and arranged yourself more comfortably in your new perch.

Although Ciel had been far too busy going over the details of his most recent case with Sebastian to notice it right away, you caught the sly smirk on the China-man’s lips and the slight flutter of his eyelashes as he glanced over at your face and then returned his attention to the young Earl.

It was the same perfectly ordinary day in autumn, although a few hours later, when Lau gently pulled you to one side before you entered the dining room in the mansion and smiled blandly at you. “We really must do something about that dress of yours, my dear,” he breathed the next words by your ear, and your cheeks flushed at his tone, “I can hardly appreciate your figure to perfection when it’s bundled under all that fabric.”

The dress in question he produced as a substitute never saw the outside of your bedroom, but you couldn’t help but giggle at the sentiment behind it.

You refrained from wearing dresses with bustles when you knew you’d be in his company, and he continued to pull you into his lap with a good deal of unnecessary flourish just to make the fact that you now sat there all the more obvious.

Lau continued to tease you about your taste in clothing, and you continued to tease him about his.

The day you found him standing outside your door in a tailored suit and exceptionally flowery cravat was the day you knew you were in love.

“You didn’t have to wear that ridiculous thing, you know…” You muttered into your teacup, unable to take your eyes off him as he sat across from you.

“Oh, I know, but I decided that I might give it a try, just for a day.” He frowned at his coat sleeves as though the deep, peacock blue buttons that rested there had personally insulted him. “I must say, though, I find it rather constricting.”

You licked your lips, wondering if there was any comment you could make in return that wouldn’t end up sounding completely inappropriate.

“I noticed you haven’t worn the dress I procured for you as substitute for your usual attire,” he pointed out, the hint of a smirk creeping onto his lips, “why is that?”

“You know very well why,” you replied with a huff, “my nightgowns offer more modesty than that _thing_ you call a dress.”

His eyebrows floated up his forehead. “Really now? I hardly believe that to be true…” The smirk was no longer a hint, but an obvious truth. “I would have to be convinced through unshakable evidence.”

You stared at him for a full minute before his eyes fluttered open to stare at you, burning brightly in the light streaming in from the window.

“Would you be able to provide me with such evidence, or will we be forced to call a truce on the subject and separate, unsatisfied on all accounts?”

There were only so many things you could say no to in the world; and the look he was giving you combined with his tone was not one of them.

“I believe I can prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt,” you replied softly, setting down your cup and standing, “if you’ll follow me.”

“To the ends of the earth, if you asked me.” He replied; standing and offering you his arm. “And _certainly_ to your bedroom.”

 _Please me,_  
_Show me how it's done,_  
 _Trust me,_  
 _You are the one..._

_"Undisclosed Desires" by: Muse_


	6. Smooth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was something reassuring about being in Agni's presence, and no matter what cool demeanor he may have put on, you knew there was heat running just below the surface of him. A heat you would have loved to curl yourself around and never release.
> 
> Agni/Reader

_Or else forget about it_  
_Oh, let's don't forget about it_  
 _Let's don't forget about it, yeah_  
 _Oh, no, no_  
 _Let's don't forget about it…_

You’d grown up as a child of high society, given every luxury that money could afford and showering you with both fame and fortune.

Your parents had forged their fortune through import and foreign trade, and it was by these means that you saw a great deal of the world as you traveled with them.

Your adventures were limited to Europe while you were still young, but once your parents deemed you old enough; you were allowed to travel abroad as well.

It was these long trips that you enjoyed most because the cultures were so very different in those countries than they were in yours, and it was wonderful to see the different rituals and art and people.

Through your travels you’d gained not only knowledge and experience but also wisdom with how to handle different peoples and countries. As the only heir, you would take control of the company when your parents died, and as much as you detested the idea, you were not naïve enough to think they would live forever.

The other thing you’d discovered while traveling, was your favorite place on earth.

For a long time before you traveled abroad when anyone asked, you would say that your favorite place was England; your home.

Once you had set foot outside of Europe, however, that opinion quickly changed.

India was your favorite place, now, and whenever your father went there on business you went with him to enjoy the wonders that it provided.

The colors in India were brighter, bolder, richer than any color you could find in England. Everything, from the sky to the tiniest little bug, was more alive here than at home, and you fell in love with the place the first time you set foot on its shores.

The air was rich in a way you hadn’t known air could be, and when you breathed it in, you felt as though you were richer and bolder for it.

And the people there were the handsomest you had ever seen.

With skin darker than yours by shades varying from gentle mocha and hazel brown to darkest ebony, and eyes that burned like stars in a night sky, they were breathtaking in the sheer difference from everything you had ever been used to before.

India was the place you always promised yourself you would remain in business with, no matter what came, because you refused to give up this country to something as trivial as economy and convenience.

You would not abandon the one place you had always been accepted with open arms, no matter what storms had come before.

You would stand by this brave, bold country, and they had promised to stand by you.

 _Man it's a hot one_  
_Like seven inches from the midday sun_  
 _Well I hear you whisper and the words melt everyone_  
 _But you stay so cold..._

When you had gone to India, you were always sure to bring things back with you. Little trinkets to give to your family or friends, and whenever Lizzy saw you come calling, she instantly knew why.

This time, you had found her to be at the Phantomhive manner, and after a good deal of fussing by Lizzy and Sebastian, you were all seated outside in the warm summer air.

Tea was currently being served, and you watched Lizzy intently as she carefully opened the box you’d presented her with once she’d been seated.

“Oh, it’s lovely!” She giggled over the bracelet you had brought her, quickly slipping it on. “What’s it made from?” She asked, inspecting it closely.

“Jade,” you answered promptly, pleased to see she was thrilled by it, “and I knew you’d want Ciel to match, so I brought him something made from it too.”

The young Earl bristled, his fingers stilling against the ribbon holding his box together. “I beg your pardon?”

You laughed at his expression, leaning forward to put a hand on his arm. “Do relax, Ciel, I didn’t get you a bracelet too.”

He gave you a calculating look before he finished opening the box and stared at what was inside.

You never stopped loving seeing that look on his face. The surprise mixed with genuine enjoyment and gratitude.

“Thank you,” he breathed after a moment, removing the jade cane-handle from its resting place, “it will look quite nice, I think.”

Lizzy frowned slightly at it. “Oh, but it’s not cute!” She gave you a look.

“Oh, but Lizzy, an Earl should never look cute. At least,” you smirked over at him, “not openly.”

He shot you an annoyed look before he presented the handle to Lizzy for inspection and watched her instantly squeal in surprise over one of the tiny carved elephants that adorned the side of it. “You always bring us things from India, but you never keep anything for yourself,” he observed, “why is that?”

Memories of one of the last handsome young men you’d seen there flashed through your mind. “I’m afraid the things I would like to bring home wouldn’t make the trip.” You replied evasively.

Ciel gave you a knowing look and smirked. “Well then, perhaps we can fix that.” He nodded to Sebastian, and the butler moved back into the house.

“Ciel,” you raised an eyebrow at him, “what are you planning?”

“Nothing you won’t enjoy thoroughly, I promise.”

You were about to question him further when a voice called out to you and your head snapped up to look across the patio towards the doors into the house.

Sebastian was smirking as he walked back to his master’s side, you noticed, and just behind him was a boy you recognized. “Soma!” You cried, practically flying out of your seat to meet him half-way in a tight hug.

“Ah! I did not know it would be you when Ciel told me I would be meeting an old friend today! How have you been, it has been too long since we last spoke!”

You laughed, pulling back far enough to look him over. “I’ve been quite well, Soma, thank you.” And then you recognized the man standing behind him.

Agni looked like he wanted to hug you too, pale eyes full of emotion and light as they gazed at you over Soma’s shoulder. “Hello again, Miss.” He breathed softly, inclining his head and breaking the stare he’d been directing your way.

“Agni,” you resisted the urge to tip his chin back up and hug him as tightly as you had Soma, “it’s good to see you.”

He was smiling when he looked back up, you noticed, but Soma was talking and dragging you back towards the tea table, so you followed his lead, returning the soft smile.

The entire afternoon you tried not to grin too brightly, and you thanked Ciel properly with words and a look he knew conveyed so much more. The thing you really missed when you left India was the people, and Soma and his butler more than made up for everyone else you’d had to leave behind.

As you talked to Soma, you realized that Sebastian had relinquished serving rights of you to Agni, and you tried not to melt on the spot when his rich voice asked, “Miss, would you like more tea?”

There was something reassuring about being in Agni’s presence, and no matter what cool demeanor he may have put on, you knew there was heat running just below the surface of him.

A heat you would have loved to curl yourself around and never release.

 _My mu equita_  
_My Spanish Harlem Mona Lisa_  
 _You're my reason for reason_  
 _The step in my groove, yeah..._

While Ciel tried to keep Lizzy entertained enough to not interrupt you and Soma as you discussed your favorite place and laughed at the stories you shared, Sebastian hovered by his master’s chair, and Agni hovered by his.

He would smile at the stories being told, and occasionally comment or corroborate Soma’s story when requested to do so, but his eyes never left your face.

And you didn’t have to look up at him to know, you just did.

The first time you’d met Soma was in India, and Agni had stared at you then as well, although not as openly. At first you had assumed it was because you were English, and he was unaccustomed to foreign visitors, but he didn’t stare at your parents.

He ducked his head respectfully to them, as was expected of a servant in aristocracy’s presence, but you he’d dared to look at directly.

You’d thought it strange, but had dismissed it when you left, and had forgotten it entirely until you next returned, and he did it again.

Soma didn’t seem to notice, so you thought it best not to mention it, instead gently broaching the subject to the butler himself.

“I apologize, Miss,” he’d touched his forehead to the floor, tone soft as he whispered against the palace tiles; “I meant no offence in my gaze. You are quite captivating, Miss, and I merely wished to take in your beauty.”

Eloquence born out of serving a prince and having to apologize often, you’d assumed at the time, but something about it had struck you. “You find me beautiful?”

“Many here do, Miss, but they were not as impertinent as I with their eyes.”

You’d resisted the urge to giggle. “Raise your head, Agni.”

He’d done so, sitting back on his heels with his gaze averted from your face. “You may punish me as you see fit, Miss, my prince has instructed that I serve you as I would him.”

You’d reached out to touch his cheek, smiling when he didn’t flinch. “I am not mad, Agni, and I will not punish you; I merely wished to know why you were staring.”

That was the first day you’d ever seen him blush. “Your mercy is unwarranted. I should not have stared.”

“But you did, and I was not offended, so we shall speak of it no more.” You stood, smiling at him again. “Now, would you be so kind as to show me the gardens? Soma has told me they are quite lovely.”

Today, now, back in Ciel’s garden under the summer sky, Agni was still staring.

But now you knew why, and every once in a while, you’d stare right back.

 _And it's just like the ocean under the moon_  
_Well that's the same as the emotion that I get from you_  
 _You got the kind of lovin' that can be so smooth, yeah_  
 _Gimme your heart make it real_  
 _Or else forget about it..._

Lizzy left just after dinner, promising to come by again soon to see you and thanking you again for the present. You’d waved her off from the steps, and then returned inside to play chess with the young Earl.

Ciel went to bed long before either you or Soma, and as the clock over the mantel slowly inched closer to dawn, you caught Soma yawning and demanded he go to bed.

“But I want to stay up with you!” He complained with a sleepy pout, barely keeping his eyes open as he slouched in his chair.

You’d rolled your eyes, laughing softly. “Agni, see him up to bed, won’t you?”

Soma opened his mouth to complain, but Agni dutifully scooped him up into his arms. “Of course, Miss.”

You giggled as they left, and you stood and slowly made your way out of the parlor as well.

Despite your desire to sleep, you ended up following Agni as he took Soma up to bed, and once the prince had been deposited safely on his sheets, his butler turned to look at you.

“As there is nothing my prince will request of me until later tonight, is there anything I may do for you, Miss?”

The question caught you off guard, and you stood staring at him for a moment before you opened your mouth. “I would appreciate it if you saw me back to my room… There’s something about this house at night that I do not trust.”

Agni smiled, bowing his head as he slipped back out the door and closed it behind him. “I understand how you feel, Miss.”

The walk back to your room was made in no great hurry, and you took your time moving through the darkened halls and writhing shadows of the mansion.

You walked in silence, except for the occasional creak of floorboards beneath your feet, and you didn’t want to wake the rest of the house with any comments that might be made too loudly.

The silence suited you both well, though, and there was nothing uncomfortable to it. Agni had an air to him that made it impossible to feel uncomfortable in his presence, and it was one of the many things you liked about him.

You tended to gravitate to wherever he was, whether Soma was in evidence or not, and the longer you spent around him the harder it was for you to eventually leave his presence.

A gentle touch to your arm pulled you out of your thoughts, and you turned to see Agni looking concerned, a hand on your arm and the other on the door just to your right.

“Is this not your room, Miss?” He asked in a whisper.

You blinked, realizing you’d been about to walk right past it. “Ah! Yes, yes it is. Thank you, I must be more tired than I thought.” You replied, just as softly.

Agni opened the door with a smile. “A good night’s rest will resolve that problem, I believe.” He ushered you in gently with a hand on your waist, and you slipped past him and into the room.

The door closed behind you, and for a moment you thought that he’d left before you could say goodnight, but then his voice breezed past your ear in another whisper.

“May I do anything else for you, Miss?”

You wanted to tell him that, yes, there was something else, but you held your tongue, reprimanding yourself for letting your thoughts get out of hand _again_. “Thank you, Agni, but I believe I’ll be fine.”

A contented hum rumbled into your ear, and then you heard the door open again, a soft whisper floating across the still night air to you. “Goodnight, Miss.”

You turned around quickly, and noticed that he’d waited for you to do so. “Goodnight, Agni.”

A smile that tugged at you was just visible in the gloom, and then he was gone past the solid wood of your door, and you wanted nothing more than to run after him.

 _Well I'll tell you one thing_  
_If you would leave it'd be a crying shame_  
 _In every breath and every word I hear your name calling me out_  
 _Well out from the barrio you hear my rhythm on your radio_  
 _You feel the turning of the world so soft and slow_  
 _Turning you round and round..._

The days that followed were filled with pleasant memories and wonderful moments.

For a week all you did was sit about the mansion with Soma and talk, Agni always hovering close by with his eyes fixed on you and that same smile haunting his face.

And you seemed to be the only one who noticed.

Or, at the very least, if anyone else did notice they made no comment, and for that you were relieved.

Agni’s position as butler made no difference to you, he was an extraordinary and wonderful man, but his position to Soma did make a difference.

You would never want to come between them in any way, and if you fell for Agni, you were sure Soma would notice.

Correction, if you made it apparent that you already _had_ fallen for him.

Because there was no denying it now, not after a week spent in close company with him and trying not to blush or giggle like a schoolgirl every time he sent one of those smiles your way, or whispered something into your ear.

And Soma, so blissfully unaware of the whole situation, would merely continue to smile and share stories of what had happened since you’d last seen each other.

But the night Ciel informed you that he would not be home for dinner, having to go take care of some business in town, you felt your stomach drop because your reason for holding back was now disappearing into the distance in a carriage, and you were in the large house alone with the man you loved and his master.

You found you had no appetite at dinner, and for some reason you found it came as no surprise. “I apologize, prince, but I am not feeling well.”

Agni was instantly at your elbow, a frown in evidence. “Is there anything I can get you, Miss?”

You waved him off distractedly, trying to forget the way his breath had played with the hairs on the back of your neck. “I’ll be quite alright, I believe, once I lie down. Keep an eye on Soma, I’ll be fine.” You reinforced this with a smile, and exited the room with a straight back.

But once you reached your room you collapsed onto the bed and buried your face in a pillow. Any longer going on like this and you might explode from the pressure.

A little while later, you’d drifted off into sleep, and didn’t awaken until a warm hand landed lightly on your shoulder, an even warmer voice speaking softly to you. “…Miss?”

You blinked up into concerned slate eyes and quickly sat up. “Yes, Agni, is anything the matter?”

He shook his head, expression clearing. “My prince asked me to bring you something to eat; he believed you might be hungry now, so I fixed something mild.”

You noticed now the tray sitting on your desk. “Thank you, but I’m afraid I still have no appetite for it.”

“What is bothering you, Miss?” He pressed, eyes reverting back to their previous emotion. “Are you unwell?”

You chuckled. “I suppose you might say that. But do not concern yourself with it, Agni, I’ll be fine.”

“I must concern myself, Miss,” he replied gently, “my prince instructed me to serve you as I would him.”

You blinked. “But that was years ago.”

“He never took back the order, Miss, and even if he had, I do not believe I would have been able to obey it.” The hand not keeping him propped up on the edge of the bed landed lightly atop yours. “I care for you, Miss, perhaps more than I should…” It was only the second time you’d seen him blush, and you committed the image to memory. “Please tell me if I am being too forward.”

You would have laughed if you hadn’t been so busy pulling him forward to press a kiss onto those eloquent lips. “Believe me, Agni; I doubt you could be too forward.”

A chuckle rumbled through him, and you felt like you might melt into the covers around you. “I am pleased to hear it, Miss, but you must tell me when to stop or else I will certainly get carried away.” He looked into your eyes and you saw that heat you’d always known was there rushing through them.

“I’m not sure if I will want you to stop,” you managed to whisper softly, “but if I change my mind, I’ll let you know.”

His smile was as bright as the sun, and nearly as blinding. “ _Jou Aagyaa_.”

 _And if you said this life ain't good enough_  
_I would give my world to lift you up_  
 _I could change my life to better suit your mood_  
 _'Cause you're so smooth..._

_"Smooth" by: Santana_


	7. My Boy Builds Coffins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And just like that, oh so quickly and simply, you'd realized you were in love. And you hadn't a clue how you'd ended up there with no more encouragement than a wide smile and a set of long nails digging gently into your side as they kept you close.
> 
> Undertaker/Reader

_My boy builds coffins with hammers and nails_  
_He doesn't build ships, he has no use for sails_  
 _He doesn't make tables, dressers or chairs_  
 _He can't carve a whistle 'cause he just doesn't care..._

The first time you’d set foot in the shop, you’d fallen oddly in love with it. The whole place had its own air to it, a strange mix of the mystical and macabre. The air smelled of dust and dark shadows, and the chills that danced up your spine upon entering were as much from excitement as they were from fright. And then you’d met _him_ , and that had been a whole different ballgame.

As if the smile wasn’t haunting enough, his voice had been there to reinforce the feeling, and the way his hands whipped through the air as he spoke, adding action to his story, and the odd angles he’d tip his head off to would always make you want to giggle into your gloved hands.

You’d gone, the first time, for a completely legitimate reason. Your aunt needed to be buried, and as the only Undertaker in town that was recommended by Earl Phantomhive himself, you’d chosen his shop to enter. The Earl had gone with you, claiming he would need to make the necessary introductions, but that was just a cover. You knew he was actually more worried about the proprietor’s behavior than anything else.

But he really shouldn’t have been. The Undertaker, although eccentric and certainly one to march to his own drum, was the epitome of a perfect host, even going so far as to give you the delicate china cup instead of the glass beaker the Earl was forced to drink tea from. The bone biscuits, which you quickly grew fonder of over time, made their appearance for the first time that day, and you happily ate several.

It was odd to sit there and discuss funeral plans with a complete stranger, but there was also something cathartic about it as well. He knew what you wanted before you ever had to open your mouth, and to your slight shock and mild horror you realized you were sitting on the model he’d made up to show you when you’d arrived. It was exactly what you’d been wanting, and there was something truly surprising and completely pleasant about the way you felt towards the tall man in black after that.

 _My boy builds coffins for the rich and the poor_  
_Kings and queens have all knocked on his door_  
 _Beggars and liars, gypsies and thieves_  
 _They all come to him 'cause he's so eager to please..._

After the funeral, when everything was said and done and you really had no business going back to that dark little shop, you visited him again to say thank you. It had been such an innocent excuse when you’d left your house, mentally repeating that simple truth over and over again in your head. It was just to say thank you. Just to say thank you.

But when you’d slipped into the shop and found him not in evidence, curiosity had gotten the better of you, and you’d started to explore. You hadn’t meant to pry, really you hadn’t, but they were all just so fascinating. Every coffin had its own story, its own eerie tale to tell. And before long you’d found yourself wandering among the different ones laid out on his shop floor, fingers grazing over the glossy tops.

He’d come out of nowhere, lilting voice suddenly softly whispering into your ear. “Find one you fancy, Miss?” You’d nearly fallen; you’d spun around so quickly. And if it hadn’t been for a conscientiously placed hand on your waist, you would have certainly toppled backwards into the waiting mouth of one particularly murky casket. “Do mind your step in here, Miss.” His mouth had twisted up into that wide, knowing grin. “I’d hate to fit you for something you’re still too young to wear.”

And just like that, oh so quickly and simply, you’d realized you were in love. And you hadn’t a clue how you’d ended up there with no more encouragement than a wide smile and a set of long nails digging gently into your side as they kept you close.

 _My boy builds coffins for better or worse_  
_Some say it's a blessing, some say it's a curse_  
 _He fits them together in sunshine or rain_  
 _Each one is unique, no two are the same..._

You hung around the shop on a regular basis after that. It was comforting, sitting there in the shadows, and Undertaker always welcomed you with a wide smile and widespread arms. Although admittedly a little morbid, you found yourself fascinated by the different types that he crafted and all the different designs that he carved into the covers.

All the coffins were different, of course, and you loved to sit and watch him work from behind his desk, or in the back of the shop in the spindly chair he had provided especially for you. He would even, when in a very good mood, ask for your opinion on certain designs and different wood stains.

Your favorite by far, however, was one he was doing in his free time. You weren’t sure who’d commissioned it, but it was beautiful. All frosted and etched glass, a perfectly elegant last resting place for anyone. You hadn’t asked him about it, feeling it was probably a little rude to pry into other people’s business, but you desperately wanted to.

Others consisted of dark lacquer with inlays of brass or silver, and even one with mother of pearl swirling across its surface in intricate twists like some sparkling waltz.

They were all beautiful, in one way or another, and you loved watching him carefully fit them together and then line them with different fabrics. From richest velvet to softest silk, each lining was different as well, either ruffled with pleats or dotted here and there with pearls or tiny rosettes crafted from the same fabric of the lining.

You knew all too well that people gave you odd looks for spending so much time in what they believed to be strange company, but you didn’t care about that. All you cared about was sipping tea from a fragile porcelain cup and perching carefully on your specially provided chair and watching your boy work.

You couldn’t quite remember when you’d started thinking of him in such a possessive way, but you didn’t think he would have minded if he knew, so you kept it to yourself and smiled every time he called you _Miss_ , or tapped the end of your nose with a bone biscuit before popping it into his mouth with a giggle and a grin.

 _My boy builds coffins and I think it's a shame_  
_That when each ones been made, he can't see it again_  
 _He crafts every one with love and with care_  
 _Then it's thrown in the ground, it just isn't fair..._

“Do you ever miss them?” The question slipped past your lips unbidden, and you tried to drown yourself in your tea as soon as he turned to look at you from across the shop.

“I beg your pardon, Miss?” His hat was in dire peril of toppling right off his head, from the extreme angle he had tilted it to.

You gestured vaguely to the casket he was currently working on, the brush he was using to paint on the design slowly dripping white back onto his pallet, and turned an interesting shade of pink. “The coffins. I mean, you spend all this time on them, and then they just get chucked into the soil. I imagine it would be hard to see anything from six feet below ground.”

He tapped a long black talon to his chin, drifting over to you and then giggling when he came to stand in front of you. “How curious of you to think like that… I must admit I do miss my handiwork once I have to let it go, but there’s always a new project to take my mind off of such a terrible loss.” He leaned in close, smiling sweetly. “I imagine, however, that I would miss yours once it was done.”

For whatever reason, be it his expression or tone, you felt heat flood your face as you looked up under the brim of his hat and found a pair of lemongrass eyes staring back at you. “I imagine I’d miss you.” You admitted with a faint smile.

He grinned brightly, leaning in until his lips brushed past your cheek and then came to rest on your ear. “I am certain I would miss you, Miss.” And as he giggled at his own joke, he pressed a kiss to your cheek and then twirled back across the shop, pausing once he was back by his current project. “But! I have a feeling that will be a long time from now. Until then, why don’t you come tell me which lining you like better? It’s so nice to have a fresh pair of eyes to peruse a project.” He grinned brightly and beckoned you over with a wave of his long fingers.

You tried to suppress the flutter in the pit of your stomach as you put your teacup down on a waiting coffin cover and hurried to his side, finding a pair of black lacquered nails trailing along the inside of your wrist as he explained what effect he was trying to achieve from the contrasting color inside the coffin. Long fingers twining gently with yours were quite the distraction, but you managed to pay enough attention to assist him with the task before he distracted you in another way entirely. Who would have been able to guess wood would be so forgiving to the weight of two people atop it?

 _My boy builds coffins, he makes them all day_  
_But it's not just for work and it isn't for play_  
 _He's made one for himself, one for me too_  
 _And one of these days he'll make one for you_  
 _For you, for you, for you..._

_"My Boy Builds Coffins" by: Floence + The Machine_


	8. Drumming Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was an instant thrum in your bones, a knowing that filled your mind and caused the rest of the world to melt away into nothing more than distant sounds and shapes. You were captivated by those crimson eyes, and they held your attention throughout the night
> 
> Sebastian Michaelis/Reader

_There's a drumming noise inside my head_  
_That starts when you're around_  
 _I swear that you could hear it_  
 _It makes such an all mighty sound..._

It had happened the first time you'd seen him.

It was nothing more than a brief meeting of your eyes, a glance stolen across a crowded ballroom as he attended to his young master and you swirled in time with the music that filled the grand ballroom, your partner only just managing to keep up with the other dancers that turned in time with the beat along with you.

It was an instant thrum in your bones, a _knowing_ that filled your mind and caused the rest of the world to melt away into nothing more than distant sounds and shapes. You were captivated by those crimson eyes, and they held your attention throughout the night, even when it was sapphire eyes that instead met your gaze as a certain young Earl did his duty and danced with the only woman in the room who didn't drive him half mad with her drivel.

Ciel couldn't hear it, of that you were sure. And if any other lady at the assembly could hear it as well, they kept their petite mouths shut on the subject. It didn't do to gossip about the hired help of an Earl, one hell of a butler or otherwise.

"I fear I may have lost your attention to another." Ceil commented softly as he took you into another gentle turn across the marble floor, the corners of his mouth hitching upwards just slightly. "May I ask who you find so captivating as to carry away your attention entirely?"

And there it was, the perfect opportunity to ask him for a favor, to ask him to enter into a scheme, to allow you just a little bit of leniency, just this once, because you had earned it from all the times you had turned a blind eye to his own antics. "As a matter of fact, Ciel, you may ask."

And there on the dance floor, in the privacy the waltz permitted, you told Ciel exactly what had just happened, and had asked that he let you play for a while.

And he, with a grin to rival the Cheshire cat's own, had agreed.

 _There's a drumming noise inside my head_  
_That throws me to the ground_  
 _I swear that you should hear it_  
 _It makes such an almighty sound..._

It happened again as soon as you were in his company again.

That thrum from before, the quickening of your heart and the drumming of your pulse in your ears. It was a staggering effect, and on more than one occasion you found yourself laying a hand on Ciel's shoulder to steady your suddenly shaky balance.

And when he spoke, that voice in your ear was enough to set your world spinning out of balance, throwing everything askew and making you feel dizzy and almost sick from the suddenness of it. The tone he used, the sweet melody of his voice as his tongue rolled gently over the words that were spoken in a near whisper directly against the sensitive shell of your ear, as though he _knew_ what he was doing to you. As though he intended to make you crack first, before you ever had the chance to fight back.

He made you feel vulnerable. He was playing with a full hand, and here you were without any idea of the rules involved or even what game you'd gotten yourself into. You had thought taking on the Phantomhive butler would be entertaining, something to distract you from the humdrum life you lead in the city at your family's home, but you hadn't ever thought it would come to this.

This was less of a game for you than it was an all-out war.

Fought with silences and slanted eyes, glares and tentative grasps to one another's person. It was a battle that was waged with minds, not bodies, and you knew if it came to it you would break long before he would.

He was a nothing like you had imagined him to be, an enigma dressed in a dark suit and made up of shadows and secrets that no one could quite decipher.

Not even the Earl himself.

But you had never been one to give up on a challenge without your best attempt to win whatever war was being fought, and this was no exception. You would fight until you bled, and then fight just a little longer than that. You would not lose to someone like Sebastian Michaelis, no matter how much you might have wanted to cave and let him win, let him find all your cracks and break you bit by bit.

You would not lose to a devil like him.

 _I ran to a tower where the church bells chime_  
_I hoped that they would clear my mind_  
 _They left a ringing in my ear_  
 _But that drum's still beating loud and clear..._

It had long since stopped being an occasional nuisance, and had grown into an affliction you could not rid yourself of, no matter how far away you ran. Be it your room in the manor, the gardens away from the others, the woods that filled the estate, or even London, there was no escaping the drums that now filled your mind.

It was now clear that he knew, that he had known for some time and simply didn't care, that he was prepared to let you suffer on through without lifting a finger to help you in your agony. He would merely smile across the room at you, and with nothing more than that and a flickering of his gaze over your figure you would be burning from the inside out, the noise in your mind blocking all else out.

You would rather run than admit defeat, even though vanishing from the grounds was almost an admission in of itself, but it was not an outright declaration that you were defeated. You still refused to let him win, even when he plagued your dreams in warm sighs and smirks that seared themselves into your skin as he let his lips play across your flesh like the most practiced pianist, coaxing noises from you with such ease that you felt shame wash over you in waves when you awoke to find it was once again nothing but a dream.

On the days you escaped from the house you would take a carriage to the nearest church and hide near the bell tower, letting the chimes wash away the drumming in your mind at least for a little. But once you slipped back down the stairs and returned to the manor, it would be back, hammering against the inside of your skull so forcefully that you wanted to scream.

You pretended nothing was wrong, that everything would be perfectly alright once you got some sleep, but you knew it was just a lie.

When you were awake Sebastian haunted the halls and would whisper the most mundane of things into your ear in a way that made you melt where you stood, and when you were asleep, his voice was used for much more nefarious things, and you had no choice but to join in, screaming out his name to the ceiling and wishing it was more than a dream.

 _As I move my feet towards your body_  
_I can hear this beat it fills my head up_  
 _And gets louder and louder_  
 _It fills my head up and gets louder and louder..._

You caved first.

You'd had enough of waking up to fevered whimpers muffled by your pillow, and an ache in your bones for the one man who refused to pick a side on which to stand. To either stop whispering things to you softly and sizing you up like he would his next meal, or make good on all those veiled threats and devour you whole the way you wished he would.

So when you caught him alone, blessedly alone, tending dutifully to dinner with his sleeves pushed up past his elbows and that utterly innocent smile on his face, you decided you'd had enough.

You supposed desperation made you brave, made you strong, because you threw him against the pantry door and pulled him into a crushing kiss. And for the first time since you'd seen him across the ball room, the drumming in your head fell silent for just a moment, and you realized you'd won.

He never would have been able to come to you, not when you were above his station, but if you came to him instead, well… How could he possibly deny a lady of your standing so simple a request?

His lips were sinful against your neck, finding all the right places to press, and when he employed his teeth and tongue as well, you grabbed him and held on for dear life.

The drumming was back, more loudly and forcefully than before, but you ignored it in favor of the sound of your name rolling off his talented tongue, and the gentle, flitting touches that landed so sweetly against your skin.

 _I run to the river and dive straight in_  
_I pray that the water will drown out the din_  
 _But as the water fills my mouth_  
 _It couldn't wash the echoes out_  
 _But as the water fills my mouth_  
 _It couldn't wash the echoes out..._

It wasn't until the next morning, when you awoke to find yourself back in your bedroom and a pair of tailcoats disappearing around the door, that you realized what you'd done.

All the fighting, all the battles won or lost, all for this. The suddenly empty feeling inside you and the return of the beating in the back of your mind, never fully satisfied, no matter what you did.

Throughout the day, he avoided you, and for quite some time you wondered why. Sebastian wasn't the sort to cave so fully and then act as though nothing had happened. He wouldn't do that to you, you decided, and so you waited.

You told the pounding of your heart to silence itself, the drumming in your mind to leave you be for now. You tried to control your gaze and keep it away from his brilliantly blood colored eyes, but you couldn't. Ciel made no mention of it, for which you would forever be grateful, but you knew that wouldn't last.

The silence would break, sooner rather than later, and you didn't want to be there when it did. You wanted the drumming to stop, for your pulse to once again return to a regular pace, for your mind to stop conjuring up the memories Sebastian had left you with. You wanted it all to stop before it went all wrong. You wanted to remember it the way it had been, to forever remember the feeling of his lips on your skin, and his fingers pressing gently deeper into you.

The river had been easier to find than you had first imagined it might be, and when the cool surface glimmered invitingly in the moonlight, you knew this was what you wanted. A world where you could remember, but never have to forget. Never have to pretend what had happened was anything other than exactly what you'd both wanted.

You didn't hear the sound of your name on the wind until you were already plummeting into the cold depths of blue, and you sighed as the rushing water drowned out the din in your head, and everything went to a brilliant shade of white. So perfect and peaceful.

When strong arms had wrapped around your waist and hauled you from the water, you hadn't struggled, there was no coughing or choking until lips found yours and breathed life back into you. And when you jolted up from the grass into an embrace that had been waiting for you, you almost wished it wasn't there for you to find. You almost wished he'd let you go, let you drown; let you wash out the stains and your soul.

But as fingers worked through your hair and a voice by your ear assured you that was the last thing he wanted, you wondered if perhaps you'd been mistaken. Perhaps this sound was not as unwelcome as you had imaged. Perhaps the silence was what you should fear, not the noise.

Perhaps you would not have to forget after all.

 _I swallow the sound and it swallows me whole_  
_Till there's nothing left inside my soul_  
 _As empty as that beating drum_  
 _But the sound has just begun..._

_"Drumming Song" by: Florence + The Machine_


	9. Honeybee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You'd looked just like a little doll yourself, your hair in perfect little ringlets around your face and your eyes so wide and bright, set in a beautifully round face. You looked perfect, dressed up in all those bows and frills, and he'd lost his heart to you right then.
> 
> human!Drossel Keinz/Reader

_You didn't have to look my way_  
_Your eyes still haunt me to this day_  
 _But you did. Yes, you did..._

You’d been but a little girl the first time he’d seen you, and he no more than a boy himself, drifting past the window in wide-eyed wonder as you gazed in past the glass and stared at all the beautiful creations that sat on their shelves and waited to be taken home and brought to life by little hands and minds to make them speak and act.

You’d looked just like a little doll yourself, your hair in perfect little ringlets around your face and your eyes so wide and bright, set in a beautifully round face. You looked perfect, dressed up in all those bows and frills, and he’d lost his heart to you right then.

And for a fraction of a second, while you resisted the insistent pull of your nanny on your hand, your eyes met his, and he knew that he’d have to make a doll that looked like that, just for you.

A doll full of that spirit and light, that excitement and bubbly curiosity. A doll with those perfect ringlets framing a beautifully round face and eyes that glowed from within with a spark that was unique to you alone.

He didn’t care how long it would take him, how many times he had to fail before he succeeded, but he would make a doll that reflected that perfection he had seen in you.

It had taken only a moment’s time, the span of perhaps a dozen heartbeats, for your image to be committed to his memory, and he swore then that he would do you justice, even if it was the last thing he ever did.

 _You didn't have to say my name_  
_Ignite my circuits and start a flame_  
 _But you did..._

It had been a few years, and several failed attempts to recreate your visage later, when you two had met for the second time. You had come into the shop properly, then, the same light in your eyes as you gazed about you and took in all the wonders that the toy shop had to offer.

“Drossel?” Your voice was like music, sweeter even than the music boxes that lined one wall of the small shop, and he felt his heart skip a few beats at the way your voice caressed his name. No one had seen the little tag on his work apron and said his name as sweetly as you did. No one had made the wiring in his brain suddenly spark and whirr in new ways.

“Yes, Miss, what can I do for you?” He had snapped to attention when you tipped your head off to one side, curls swinging in perfect unison, and watched him expectantly until he replied.

“I’d like a doll, if it’s not too much trouble…?” You replied softly, looking a little embarrassed about purchasing one of the toys for yourself.

“No trouble at all, Miss.” He’d smiled back at you, his heart hammering inside his chest as he tried to actually hear what you were saying instead of merely examine the way your lips moved as you formed the words you spoke to him.

And he had helped you to the best of his ability while the flame in his chest swelled whenever you both reached for the same thing and your hands bumped, or you agreed on one particular pattern for a dress, or you regarded him with something akin to warmth in those captivating eyes of yours. He tried, he really did, but he knew he was lost long before you ever left that day, and he simply couldn’t bring himself to regret having lost his heart to a lady like you.

 _You didn't have to smile at me_  
_Your grin's the sweetest that I've ever seen_  
 _But you did. Yes you did..._

The third time he saw you, you were a proper lady, dressed in the high collar of your station and a hat that hid all those lovely curls he had come to love. But you were still so beautiful, he didn’t mind in the least.

You greeted him the way you had the last time you’d entered the shop, saying his name so sweetly, and he remembered why he’d been so desperately trying to craft a doll that did you even a little justice.

And when you two began to talk as you picked out a doll for your younger sister, and you smiled at him, he thought that perhaps this was what heaven felt like. Like he was floating on clouds in the presence of an angel, and it didn’t matter what happened in the world, because he was here, with you, and that was the only important thing.

Except, there were other matters to attend to, or at least that was what your maid had told you sternly when you appeared to be getting a little too familiar with a shop boy, and you frowned at her before agreeing to be right out.

“There’s something I wanted to ask you,” you whispered to him in a tone even sweeter than when you had said his name, “I’m having a ball at the end of the month, a coming out of sorts…” You slid an envelope with gilded edges across the counter to him, careful to keep it out of sight of your maid. “Would you attend?”

And even if he had wanted to say no, there was no way he could deny that look in your eyes and the way you had voiced the question.

“I would be delighted.” He replied instead, dipping his head in order to hide the faint flush that had spread into his cheeks.

When he looked up, ready to bid you farewell, he was greeted by the sweetest grin he had ever seen, and he found the power over his vocal cords suddenly gone.

“Until then, Drossel.” And you winked at him before you were turning on your heel and had returned to the proper young lady you were meant to be, despite how much he wished you could pretend for a little longer.

 _You didn't have to offer your hand_  
_Cause since I've kissed it I am at your command_  
 _But you did..._

The ball was, well, _grand_ to say the least, and he felt so thoroughly out of his element that he nearly turned tail and ran for the nearest exit. But then he’d seen you, and doing practically anything was made suddenly impossible.

You were in purple, a color that seemed to suit you perfectly, and with the smile you were wearing, you were a vision, a _goddess_ , and he was incapable of doing anything but taking in the sight of you dressed like that.

And then you spotted him across the crowded room, and your face lit up the way no one else could make it, and you made your way to his side with a bright smile and even brighter eyes.

“You made it.” It was almost a question, as though you had been doubting he would actually attend, and he returned a soft smile.

“I would not miss this for the world.” And the tiny hint of pink that comment caused to bloom in your cheeks was worth all the looks he might be shot during the course of the night.

“Thank you.” You breathed out, giving him a stunning smile as the band began to play and you offered him your hand.

He took a deep breath, bowed over the hand you had offered him, and pressed a fleeting kiss to your knuckles before he straightened and led you out onto the dance floor.

He knew then, more so than in any other moment, that he would be at your command for as long as you drew breath, and likely for a long time even after you had stopped.

But he didn’t mind the idea of loving you so completely, if this was the feeling that he was rewarded with, and as he pressed a tentative kiss to your temple before whispering a soft confession into your ear as you twirled gracefully to the music that filled the hall, he knew you were more precious and perfect than any doll he might have made in your likeness.

No eyes could burn as brightly as yours, and there was no comparison for the passion he could see in your soul. There was no replicating one such as you, and he was perfectly content to keep you as his own for as long as you would have him.

And you, naturally, were more than willing to keep him as well.

_Set me free, my honeybee  
Honeybee…_

_"Honeybee" by: Steam Powered Giraffe_


	10. Lil' Red Riding Hood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When he'd first laid eyes on you, it had been at the haunted house that you'd both volunteered for during the week leading up to Halloween, and you showed up wearing what he deemed was the classiest Little Red Riding Hood costume he'd ever seen.
> 
> human!Pluto/Reader

_Hey there Little Red Riding Hood_  
_You sure are looking good_  
 _You're everything a big bad wolf could want._  
 _Little Red Riding Hood_  
 _I don't think little big girls should_  
 _Go walking in these spooky old woods alone..._

When he'd first laid eyes on you, it had been at the haunted house that you'd both volunteered for during the week leading up to Halloween. As part of the rules for working there, you had to wear a costume to the House every night, and you showed up wearing what he deemed was the classiest Little Red Riding Hood costume he'd ever seen.

The hood was made from actual velvet, and the dress wasn't trashy, but more medieval and stylish than he'd seen in a long time. It was brown and white with leather accents, and he would swear up and down that he hadn't been staring at your figure, per say, he'd been admiring the quality of your costume. And that was the story he would stick to for the rest of his life.

Of course, he wasn't the only one to notice you, the House was big and there were a lot of volunteers who'd offered to help out because they could, and you got looked at more than strictly made him comfortable. Which was ridiculous, really, he didn't even know your name let alone your relational status, but there was something in the way the other boys looked at you, like they wanted to just eat you, that made a growl form in the back of his throat and his hair stand on end.

And yeah, okay, that was probably a little weird for a guy to do when he didn't know a girl, but he couldn't help it. He'd always been protective of the other kids in the orphanage where he'd grown up, and even after he'd left he'd formed attachments quickly. It was something Sebastian gave him hell for every time the older man got the chance, but it wasn't Pluto's fault he was so loyal. He just liked knowing people were safe.

And, if the looks the other boys were sending you were any indication, you most certainly were _not_ safe.

He practiced his speech three times in the bathroom mirror before he finally slipped over to you at the end of the shift the two of you shared and whispered his proposition into your ear. "Look, I know this is sudden, but could I walk you home? I don't think you should be going anywhere this late at night alone."

You'd raised your eyebrows at him, amused, but accepted all the same. The two of you had talked a little during your breaks, and you'd heard about him from both Sebastian and Ciel and knew he wasn't the type to try anything. Besides, he was adorable with the grey ears perched atop his head and the studded leather collar hanging loosely around his neck.

"So do you really think I shouldn't be allowed anywhere alone at night, or were you just trying to get me on my own?" You asked once you'd gotten out of sight of the House, and the blush that question earned you was so worth the awkward silence that followed.

"I, ah," he floundered for a moment, trying to figure out how to word what it was that he wanted to say, "I just wanted to be sure you made it home in one piece."

You laughed at that, genuinely touched by the sentiment, and looped your arm through his with a smile. "Well I'll admit it is nice to have my own personal Big Bad Wolf to keep all the others at bay."

He swallowed down his embarrassment over that particular sentiment and instead kept his eyes straight ahead and his hands completely to himself. Instead, he listened to the occasional directions you gave to lead you both safely back to your grandmother's house (and if that wasn't some sort of ironic he had no idea what was), and the October wind whispering in the trees.

He did not, in any way, listen to the wolf in his head screaming at him to eat you whole because really, you were the tastiest little morsel he'd ever seen.

 _What big eyes you have_  
_The kind of eyes that drive wolves mad_  
 _So just to see that you don't get chased_  
 _I think I ought to walk with you for a ways._  
 _What full lips you have_  
 _They're sure to lure someone bad_  
 _So until you get to grandma's place_  
 _I think you ought to walk with me and be safe..._

After that first night, it became a routine for Pluto to wait until your shift was over and then walk you home. And he ignored the comments and wolf-whistles that were thrown your way when you slipped off down the street together, because the gossip was well worth the time in your company and the knowledge that you were always getting home safe.

It helped, of course, that you encouraged your escort as often as possible and had your grandmother bake cookies on a regular basis so that he would feel as welcome in the house as possible, and he often stayed for an hour or more just talking with you before he walked home himself.

And, naturally, he didn't mention to you or anyone else the way he noticed your eyes and the way they shone when they looked up at him in the moonlight, or how your lips curved up so perfectly when you smiled, or how mesmerizing your mouth was when you spoke, no matter how mundane the words might be that you were saying.

It was legitimately hard for him to focus on work some nights when he heard you laugh from across the room, or saw you glance his way and smile. He had to keep his head bowed and his mind on the task at hand, and he was sure that if the tail hanging from his belt had been real, it would have been wagging a mile a minute whenever you so much as looked his way.

And if he growled at the boys who looked at you too long or whispered rude things behind your back, well… That was just his naturally protective tendencies coming out, and shouldn't be read into at all.

Even if Sebastian did give him significant looks from time to time and smile that secretive little smirk of his that told _volumes_ of how amused he was at the situation at hand.

Pluto tried to ignore it, but that was nigh on impossible with the way the older man watched the two of you like a hawk, especially when you weren't out in the House showing guests into the entrance or helping with the activities on the other side of the trail that wound through the mansion.

The worst, however, was probably your own grandmother, who found it necessary to give you both significant looks at every opportunity and wink suggestively whenever Pluto set foot in your house, even if he just stood in the doorway long enough to say goodnight.

But, despite all the teasing and tense moments when your hands brushed as you both reached for the same thing, he decided he wouldn't have traded any of it for the world, because he loved spending time with you.

And not just because you were the cutest Lil Red he'd seen in his entire life.

 _I'm gonna keep my sheep suit on_  
_Until I'm sure that you've been shown_  
 _That I can be trusted walking with you alone._  
 _Little Red Riding Hood_  
 _I'd like to hold you if I could_  
 _But you might think I'm a big bad wolf so I won't..._

It was halfway through the week when you slid your hand down into his and entwined your fingers together. And he tried to ignore the change, tried to shove the side of him down that started to howl with excitement at the simple gesture, but it was hard to ignored the gentle squeeze you gave his hand whenever you directed him through the streets, and the pause in drawing your hand away from his when you finally reached your front door.

It was harder still to quell the voice in his head when you realized your grandmother wasn't home, and you turned to look at him with something in your eyes he didn't trust himself to identify. "I should, ah, be getting home." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder towards the door, feeling more awkward by the moment as he stood in your entrance way and _willed_ for you to just let him go before you both did something you regretted.

Not that he would ever regret anything that involved you, but that was the funny thing about hindsight; it was always the wiser.

"Yeah, right, you should…" You trailed off, looking at the ground, and he wished you'd just smile and tell him goodnight so he could leave and not feel like he was abandoning you to the night like some complete jerk.

"Do you want me to stay till your grandmother gets home?" He offered softly, feeling his cheeks redden just at the suggestion. "I know you don't like being alone."

The way your eyes lit up was answer enough, but then you nodded and he felt relief wash over him. "That would be great. You sure you don't mind?"

He shook his head, moving further into the house and closing the door behind him. "I don't mind at all… But, ah, could we watch something? Time always seems to pass faster when you have something to do."

That _something_ flashed in your eyes for a moment as you moved into the kitchen again, but then you smiled and nodded. "Sure, go ahead and pick something out."

And he did, dutifully choosing a film from your collection and sliding it smoothly into the player before he sat on the couch next to you (close enough to you to hear your occasional comments as you watched, but not close enough to give himself any ideas), and watched the film start.

By the time your grandmother got back, you were asleep in your room, and he swore up and down to the elder woman that you had gotten there yourself and he'd stayed downstairs the entire time.

She looked a bit too gleeful at the prospect that he'd carried you upstairs, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know how she'd react if she found out that was exactly what had happened.

 _What a big heart I have- the better to love you with_  
_Little Red Riding Hood_  
 _Even bad wolves can be good_  
 _I'll try to be satisfied just to walk close by your side_  
 _Maybe you'll see things my way before we get to grandma's place..._

After the incident with the empty house, Pluto was even more careful about what happened between the two of you. There was no denying his affection towards you, not now, but that didn't mean he wanted the whole world to know he was seconds from staking a claim on you that couldn't be denied.

Although he did make a show of glaring every boy who looked at you for longer than ten seconds into submission, he didn't do anything more drastic, and he wasn't planning to. He could take things as slowly as you wanted to, as far as he was concerned, and that was simply all there was to that.

He'd seen enough relationships fall apart because one party got pushy, he didn't want to be the one to wreck whatever it was that you two had now, so he kept you close but kept his mouth shut.

At least he did, until the night you tugged him into the break room and into the tightest hug he'd ever had the pleasure to be subjected to. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?" He stroked the back of your head as you hid your face in his shoulder, and you shivered as his fake claws scraped gently against your scalp.

"Bard got drunk, I think," you mumbled into his shirt, "he, well…"

You didn't have to finish the end of your sentence for Pluto to know exactly what you meant, and he felt the hair on the back of his neck start to rise as he growled softly.

"You want me to do something about it?" He asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

You quickly shook your head. Bard was a nice guy when he was sober, and there was no way he ever would have laid a finger on you if he'd had his wits about him. Besides, he'd get enough of a beating at the hands of Sebastian when the brunette found out that you didn't think it fair to inflict Pluto's wrath on the blond as well. "No, no, it's fine, just… Can you walk me home?"

He glanced at the clock. You still had ten minutes on your shift, but it was slow tonight and you didn't think that your boss would be too mad if you slipped out a little early. Besides, if they asked, he was sure he could come up with a convincing story to explain your behavior. "Of course, come on." He kept one arm around your shoulders as he led you out the back way and off down the street, keeping you as close as possible as you walked along.

At first it was a little awkward, the two of you struggling to find a rhythm that didn't instantly throw you into each other with every step, but eventually you figured it out and fell into step next to each other. He started up an innocuous conversation that had nothing to do with what had just happened, and you quickly joined in, happy to have a distraction as you walked.

Eventually, of course, you ended up on your doorstep and the lack of lights in the window told that your grandmother was still out somewhere and probably wouldn't be home for a while. He was ready to either slip inside and watch another movie to cheer you up or get out of your hair, whichever you preferred, but then you stretched up and kissed him, and every rational thought he'd had promptly skipped town out of his brain.

"Stay." You whispered once you'd pulled away, and he could practically _feel_ the word as you breathed it against his lips. You grinned up at him and winked as he nodded obediently. "Good boy."

 _Hey there Little Red Riding Hood_  
_You sure are looking good_  
 _You're everything that a big bad wolf could want..._

_"Lil Red Riding Hood" by: Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs_


	11. Star Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day you walked into class, he couldn't take his eyes off you. It was less to do with the fact that you were cute, because you were, and more to do with the fact that you were a new transfer too, and he wanted more than anything to make you feel like you belonged.
> 
> Finnian/Reader

_You're a star the way you are_  
_You know you're not fooling anyone; no_  
 _You got the eyes of an angel_  
 _No matter what they tell you you're beautiful the way you are..._

When Finny had transferred schools, he'd been a bit nervous about the whole thing. He was shy, although bubbly, and tended not to make friends easily. Really all he wanted was somewhere quiet he could try to fit in and make friends and work on his grades.

What he got was Phantomhive academy, a place where everyone was just a little… _off_. And not always in the bad ways, but certainly not in any ways Finny had ever seen in his lifetime. He was uncomfortable enough as it was in his own skin; he didn't need other people trying to make him one of them to do that, so instead of conforming, Finny took the whole ordeal in stride and decided that he didn't care what other people thought. He was going to do what he wanted and try to be nice at the same time.

And it worked, for the most part, he started to fit in with a certain crowd, and the day you walked into class, he couldn't take his eyes off you. It was less to do with the fact that you were cute, because you _were_ , and more to do with the fact that you were a new transfer too, and he wanted more than anything to make you feel like you belonged.

It had started with small things, like walking you to your locker and helping you with your books, and slowly escalated to always sitting next to each other in the classes you shared and having lunch together up on the school's roof where you could get away from the rest of the kids who hadn't figured out how to be nice yet.

You were different too, in your own way, but Finny liked you and the two of you got along quite well. You stopped being cute and started being beautiful because he could see the you that you hid behind your bangs and your band-T's, and you didn't take flak from anyone, even the teachers. You stood up for yourself, and he admired that about you. Eventually you came out of your shells enough to start mixing with the other kids at the school too, and he was so proud that you'd both learned to make friends that he didn't even realize it meant not spending as much time together, just the two of you.

And when you started dating Bard, the local would-be bad-boy, Finny smiled and congratulated you along with the others, even though he wished things were different.

 _You got your tongue pierced once_  
_And you say you got another_  
 _That you can't show anyone unless it's under covers_  
 _But you're running around showing everyone your new tattoo._  
 _You got an A in class and you hope no one would notice_  
 _You're the smartest kid in school and it makes you self-conscious_  
 _And your loser boyfriend's smoking out in the boy's room_  
 _I wish someone would tell you..._

The day you walked into school and cornered him over by your locker, he freaked out in the manliest way imaginable. You laughed softly and told him to chill out, because this wasn't like that. And then you stuck out your tongue and his face flushed red at the sight of the small little ball sitting snugly at the center of your tongue.

"You got it pierced?" His voice cracked a little on that last word, but you both ignored it.

"Yeah! And another…" You trailed off, winking at him. "But I can't show you that one.

He hadn't thought he could get any brighter red. "O-oh. Well then…"

"Oh, and I got this too!" You rolled up your sleeve and peeled away the bandages, showing off the ink on your arm. "Pretty cool, huh?" The rose sat on the center of your wrist, the thorny vines winging delicately around on either side, almost like a bracelet that had simply sunk into your skin, and Finny would have been lying if he didn't find it at least a little attractive.

"Y-yeah… It suits you." He smiled, looking you in the eye and plucking up the courage to say what he wanted to.

Before he got the chance, however, Bard put an arm around your shoulders and looked questioningly between your arm and Finny before he grinned. "I take it you like the tattoo, babe?" You nodded, grinning, and he pressed a kiss to your temple. "Good."

He led you away by the shoulders, waving to Finny over his shoulder, and as the green-eyed bow stood there and watched the two of you walk away, he played over what he'd been planning to say in his mind, just for future reference. _"Yeah, the rose suits you… Although you're more beautiful than any rose I've ever seen..."_ And he didn't care if Sebastian's eyebrows shot up his head when Finny asked if that was an okay thing to say to a girl, he'd thought it was pretty good.

It wasn't until later that same day that he got the chance to really compliment the tattoo, when he found you sitting on the roof alone looking out at the sunset. "Hey," he greeted, moving to sit beside you, "why the long face?"

"I got an A in Chemistry." You replied simply, shrugging when his eyebrows shot up his forehead at the news. "I feel weird about it."

"Why?" He asked, staring at you. "You're one of the smartest kids in school, why is an A so surprising?"

"It's not surprising," you admitted softly, "I just… I don't want to tell my mom, she'll get all silly like she always does when I get a good grade, like she's surprised or something. And Bard will tease me too, I just know it."

"Where is he, anyway?" Finny asked when he fully registered the blonde's absence from the balcony. "He doesn't usually let you out of his sight."

You chuckled softly. "I don't know why he won't smoke up here; he swears the bathroom is safer… I don't believe him." You drew your knees up to our chest, sighing softly. "Sorry, I'm not really myself today."

He smiled, willing you to cheer up even if just for a moment. "Don't worry about it. I can be myself enough for the both of us."

You laughed at that, an honest-to-God laugh that made Finny's pulse pick up and his eyes brighten. He loved that sound.

 _And your mama's so happy you became a cheerleader_  
_Homecoming queen just like your older sister_  
 _'til you died your hair pink and they said what were you drinkin_  
 _And it never did sink in_  
 _It don't matter what they think..._

You turned up on his doorstep unexpectedly one night, and he let you in as soon as he saw the tears in your eyes. "What happened?" He asked once you were curled up on the couch with a mug of cocoa in your hands. He knew for a fact it was hard to make you cry, and he didn't like to think of the possibilities behind the cause this time around.

"I got into a fight with my mom." You mumbled, frowning. "She was so happy when I got onto the cheer team, and then when she found out I was nominated for homecoming queen she was over the moon… But then…" You plucked at one of the strands of your vividly pink hair, a new addition to the rest of the natural color. "Then I came home with this and she freaked out. She'd already told me to break up with Bard, so when she flipped out over a little _temporary_ hair dye…" You sighed; looking into your mug like the bubbles on the top could tell you exactly what you needed to hear.

"I'm sorry." He managed, fighting down the different feelings in his chest. On the one hand it was terrible that your mother had thrown you out, and it was stupid for her to have done it over something as trivial as hair dye when you still had that rose tattoo, but he couldn't deny the flutter of hope in his chest at the thought that you and Bard weren't together anymore. He hated himself for it, but it was there all the same.

"Don't be," you mumbled around a swig of cocoa, "it was bound to happen sooner or later… I'm just glad the piercings will heal up." You offered him a shy smile before you fell into a comfortable silence, only broken now and then by your sips of cocoa. "Hey, Finny," you managed at last, looking up at him, "remember when I first showed you my tattoo?"

He nodded. "Yeah, how could I forget?"

You grinned. "Well, that day, you said it suited you… What did you mean?"

That hope that had been fluttering about in his chest turned into something very closely resembling reckless abandon, and he said the words before he could think to stop them. "The rose suits you because it takes a while for you to open up completely, but once you do you're even prettier than when you were closed up tight…" He flushed red, dipping his head to avoid your gaze as your eyes widened. "Although," he continued faintly, "you're more beautiful than any rose I've ever seen."

He wasn't expecting the press of your lips to his, but you didn't hold it against him as you chuckled and wrapped your arms around his shoulders, your mug deposited safely on the coffee table. "Well then, Finny, I don't feel quite so silly telling you you're sweeter than any candy I've ever tasted." You grinned at the way his eyes went wide as he looked up at you. "And I love you too."

His surprised expression finally changed, then, his gaze softening as his lips quirked up at the corners and his hands finally decided to land on your waist. "Glad to hear it." He mumbled softly. "For a while there I wasn't so sure."

"Well, you'll never have to doubt it again." You replied, pressing your forehead to his. "I'll be your rose now, and you can be the gardener for my heart."

He grinned at that, pressing a brief kiss to your cheek. "Well, you did always tell me I had a green thumb!"

You laughed.

 _You're a star the way you are_  
_You know you're not fooling anyone, no_  
 _You got the eyes of an angel_  
 _No matter what they tell you you're beautiful the way you are..._

_"Star Song" by: Bowling for Soup_

**Author's Note:**

> Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler and All Related Characters belong to: Yana Toboso


End file.
